College football star Kurtis Rourke played entire season with a torn ACL before entering NFL draft
Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke will undergo surgery after playing sensationally all season with a torn ACL.
The 24 year old named the 2025 NFL draft this week and is ranked 8th in quarterback class by ESPN.
He recently led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff – and finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting – despite damaging his ACL in August.
According to the Cleveland ClinicIt normally takes six to nine months to recover from a torn ACL, but athletes may need more time before they are ready to meet the demands of elite sport.
But Rourke only missed one game in the 2024 season, and that was because he had to undergo surgery on his thumb.
The Canadian-born quarterback wore a knee brace as he inspired Indiana to a school-record 11 wins for 3,042 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke played sensationally all season with a torn ACL
The Canadian-born player wore a knee brace as he inspired Indiana to a school-record 11 wins
Rourke’s agent made the surprising revelation ESPN on Friday and confirmed that the quarterback will undergo surgery next week to repair his knee ahead of the draft in April.
It is the second time the 24-year-old has torn the same cruciate ligament, having suffered the injury for the first time in 2022.
Rourke spent three years as a starter at Ohio before moving to Indiana and leading the Hoosiers to the playoffs, where they were defeated by Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish then upset the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs 23-10 to advance to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame will now play No. 6 Penn State in the Orange Bowl – with the winner of that game advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship game.